Philippines★ Online demand expands, smartphone penetration advances

The Philippine National Statistics Coordinating Board (NSCB) recently reported that the country's information and communications technology (ICT) lags behind the average for developing nations and even trails other Southeast Asian countries. However, mobile phone ownership has reached "one phone per person," and Twitter usage ranks eighth globally. This reveals that despite an inconvenient ICT environment, citizens are steadily utilizing communication and internet services. This was reported by NNA, which distributes Asian economic information.

NSCB Director Alberto cited the ICT Development Index (out of 10 points) published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), reporting that "the Philippines ranked 98th out of 157 countries and regions as of 2012." He noted the country ranks only 7th among the 10 Southeast Asian nations. According to the ITU, the Philippines' ICT Development Index for 2012 was 3.34 points, a 0.2-point increase from the previous year, but still below the developing country average of 3.44 points. Director Alberto acknowledged that foreign visitors often express dissatisfaction with the country's poor Wi-Fi connectivity, stating, "Areas needing improvement are clearly evident in these complaints and statistics."

Despite this "lagging infrastructure," ICT usage among citizens is expanding rapidly. The NSCB explained that Facebook usage exceeded 90% of internet users in 2011. Twitter usage also stands at 16.1%, ranking 8th globally. This is driven by the large number of people accessing the internet via mobile phones and tablets using wireless broadband.

 

In 2012, mobile phone ownership reached 106 units per 100 people, and the smartphone market continues to expand. According to research firm GfK Asia, sales from January to September last year reached $1.24 billion, a 39% increase year-on-year. In terms of units sold, this represented a 42% increase to 5.1 million units.

 

 

While fixed broadband lines remain a challenge, subscribers are gradually increasing. Domestic carriers' broadband businesses are showing strong growth. Alongside the expansion of internet infrastructure, demand appears to be steadily increasing.